Nike KD VI Performance Review

Traction – It isn’t horrible but it’s not as good as last years. While I was editing the video review I noticed that the pattern featured on both the KD V & KD VI are nearly identical but executed differently. The KD V‘s pattern was made so that the outline of the pattern was cut away and removed from the outsole, this provided an aggressive pattern which worked well. Meanwhile, the KD VI did the opposite and left the outline of the pattern in place and removed the inner portions which made for a slick surface when dust is involved. Next time… I hope they go the KD V route because it was much more efficient on-court.

Just a tip, wipe the outsole at every dead ball and you will be good to go with traction… allow the dust to pile up under your foot and you’ll be ice skating.

Cushion – The cushion is the same exact setup as the KD V but this time around they just feel much better right when you first walk out onto the court. These feel the way the KD V‘s feel after they’ve been broken-in… without needing to be broken-in. Awesome!

These wiped the floor with the Zoom Soldier VII’s (I have been alternating between the two) in terms of comfort which is a surprise because I would have guess it to be the other way around prior to wearing them both. Bottom line… the KD VI won’t disappoint.

Material – The Fuse is thin, pliable and requires nearly zero break-in time. Unfortunately, I do feel as if it isn’t quite as nice as the KD V’s and feels almost cheap in comparison. Why so many direct comparisons to the KD V you ask? Simple… they are sitting on shelves as we speak… right next to the KD VI… only one is priced at $115 while the other is $130. You do the math.

Luckily, I don’t feel as if the materials feel warrants a bad score – it just ‘feels’ cheaper than the KD V’s more rugged upper that I love so much. It’ll still support you while remaining durable so there isn’t much to complain about… unless you have a weird infatuation with the KD V… like I do.

Fit – I went up 1/2 size and it worked perfectly fine for me. You will still want to try them on in-store if possible and if it isn’t possible then I hope you’ve owned the KD IV as that is the one shoe that you can kind of compare it to.

Lockdown though… incredible. Who knew such a low shoe would be so secure. I didn’t have one issue with them once laced up… not one. I haven’t worn a soccer cleat since I was 7 so I cant tell you if they have similar attributes in terms of fit and lockdown but since they look so much like one… its safe to assume that its pretty darn close. These are the best fitting low top basketball shoes since the Kobe V… that is all.

Ventilation – Its better than the KD V but still nothing to write home about. I’m just glad the fit/ lockdown was near perfect so I didn’t wind up walking away with more blisters on my feet.

Support – Most of the support comes from the fit and lockdown and those of you that wish to have plenty of torsional support along with arch support… you may be disappointed. The Air Jordan X was the last time a lack of arch support was apparent while in-game and these have a similar feel. I was able to feel my arch and the shoe separate slightly when in motion – typically after playing for 2+ hours – so if you have arch support insoles… take them with you.

Overall – These are really fun to play in. The only thing that truly bothered me personally was the traction but again, wipe the outsole at every dead ball and you’ll be good to go. Comfort and lockdown are definitely their highlights so if those two areas are high on your list of personal on-court needs then you should be very please.

Its rare that the previous model is still on shelves by the time the next version releases so with that… I’d go with the KD V still as an overall package is concerned – including price. Don’t get me wrong, the KD VI is awesome but the KD V just feels like you get a little more while paying a little bit less… and they haven’t even hit outlets yet.

Cant go wrong with either. They are both fairly similar. Both have okay at best traction when faced with dirty courts while they are each great fitting and comfortable. KDs prob wont rip apart though, the way the Kobe V tends too after lots of usage.

I really miss the top ten list. Can you pleeaassee add it back up ? I love the new website setup – it sets it apart from other websites and makes it look more unique – but i wish it still had the list.

I purchased these on debut day 7/3/13, but I held out on wearing them until this review. So I don’t know about playing in them, but the comfort is certainly there. Traction is the most important attribute in a performance shoe for me and I’m considering on returning or keeping these for casual wear now.

hi nightwing, how is the outsole durabillity in theese ?
im thinking of buying it not to play ball in, i have my elite lebron X for that, but im in need a shoe to work. normally i wear air force 1 low .
in term of outsole thickness, and rubber durability, and also cushioning for standing on foot for most of the day , will these be comfortable ?
hopefully they will release more formal colour way though
thx , great site.

Hey Nightwing, I wear a 4.5 in g.s sizes. I was thinking about getting these KD VI but my question is why don’t the g.s. sizes not have the Nike Zoom written on the side? Is that because it doesn’t have the Nike Zoom in the shoe? Please reply. Thanks.

GS versions dont have that because the people over at nike dont put a lot of the details on the kids version, which is why they are cheaper. Although it does have zoom it does not have the details that the mens version has. If you want the details i suggest you get them from nikeid.

Nice review on the KD VI’s. It is indeed rare that a new model releases while last years model is still on the shelves, and I think that works well for consumers since we’ll have the option to stick with the older model or go with the new one.

I think it might affect their sales but most younger consumers will gravitate towards the ‘new’ model just because it is new. Thats how it was when I was in High School anyways… people would hate on the Retros (this was 1999/2000) and only wanted the ‘latest’ Air Jordan. Its def not that way anymore with the Jordans but with current players, I can see it being similar.

Hey Nightwing Thanks for the informative reviews. I’m a huge Rose fan and I own multiple pairs of multiple models of his shoes. I was wondering if you’re going to do a performance review on the Adidas Rose 773 2.0s? If you are busy, then don’t worry about it, but if you aren’t, a performance review on those shoes would be much appreciated. Thank you

hey nightwing i have got the answer for the question you might have been asking yourself for so long ” why poeple care so much about ventilation score effect overall score and why they cant just ignore it if they dont need ventilation?”
here is my answer, ventilation score change- overall score change- overall top 10 ranks – and people bet money with their friends on what shoe will rank what # on kicksoncount !! so you are the one to blame making this site too popular even become a gambling web site , JK hahahhahah

Nike should just send you their prototypes. Then you can tell them what’s wrong with their design ahead of full production (like the outsoles of the VI and those flimsy lace loops) and they can fine tune them. then we’d get near perfect shoes as final products and they make millions more. everybody happy!

Hey NW what zoom would you prefer if you could only have out of these two: the kd v and vis bar shaped or the ones that’s were placed on shoes like the kobe v and vi that only had it right under the ball of your foot.

Hey NW why is it that the Jordan Superfly 2 have such a large zoom bag and these have a small one when they’re the same price, even the lebron 10 have full length zoom. I know that lebrons are a lot higher priced but I still think the KD 6 should of had a bigger zoom bag. Especially for 15$ more than the KD 5.

Nightwing, I am really looking to cop some of em Meterology Vs but I am just concerned about how they seem to look flimsy..I don’t think you have worn them that much at all but you think they can easily crease???

Hey Nightwing,
I just bought these and and you’re right the lockdown is dope, but i have to mention that they were hurting my feet at the inner side of my foot right were the flywire is connected to the lining.
Did you had the same problem and if yes did you solve it ?
Because I would like to wear them, but as of now i would return them…

Hey nightwing
I have a pair of KD V Hulk i just got and a friend wants to swap with me his KD VI OKC
Personally i go with the KD V but nightwing, which is much better for me who is 5’7” tall and plays shooting guard and small forward?
Cheers